It appears that Ricky Steamboat is currently involved with NWA:TNA. And if my hazy memory is correct, I think he was also involved with the Pillman charity events, in one capacity or another. I had always assumed that the reason we never seen the Dragon in either WWF, WCW, or ECW in the past several years was due to him enjoying retirement, and it was on his own terms. Is there any reason for his none involvement with the big 3 over the past several years? It just seems odd that a former champion of his caliber not being on any t.v. for several years to show up and have a role with a new federation trying to establish themselves.

If it has t*ts or tires, it will eventually cause you problems. - Anonymous

I still think it is due to his retirement. With TNA he really doesn't have to travel, isnt there every week, and it's only ONE day a week as opposed to a huge schedule if he was with WWF/ECW/WCW (when they all were around).

I'm gonna get me an oversized guitar, gain 40 pounds, and become the next D!

I thought I remember seeing an interview somewhere a few years back that said he was staying away wrestling and didn't want to have anything to do with it. He acknowledged his past, but certainly distanced himself from it - I remember now that the interview -was- after a Pillman show.

I can understand in this economy where he would have to reconsider that stand to possibly bring in some extra income, and the schedule and workload seems to be advantageous to him, so I think it is great, since I am a huge fan.

Haven't seen TNA, though, so I am sad that I can't see him again. A guy in my area that looks like him refereed my daughter's karate match a few months back, FWIW.

Doenst Steamboat also run a wrestling school down in North Carolina? I seem to recall one columnist saying he went to a clinic or something and that Steamboat put on a kind of demo match for his students. The guy said it was a awesome display of ring psychology thats missing nowadays. Anyway it seems the Dragon still has it and thats cool in my book.